A+ A-

IMF lauds Kuwait's multiple donor conferences for Syrian refugees

By Yousef Al-Tattan

WASHINGTON, March 11 (KUNA) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lauded Kuwait's efforts to alleviate the tragic humanitarian crisis in Syria by having hosted two and soon to be a third international donor pledging conferences, and IMF official said Wednesday.
"The IMF appreciates the role that Kuwait has played in hosting the international pledging conferences for the past two years," said Deputy Director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Department Adnan Mazarei in a statement for Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
Kuwait is to host The Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria on the 31st of March which aims to fund more humanitarian assistance.
Mazarei added that the humanitarian needs of Syrians are immense, with over 40 percent of the population internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries and more than 12 million in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria.
"Equally worrisome are the spillovers from Syria to its neighbors, particularly to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, which are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with, and costly to accommodate, the significant influx of Syrian refugees," he affirmed.
Mazarei reiterated Syria's neighbors need for continued international donor support "to alleviate some of the cost of hosting the Syrian refugees and the impact of the crisis on their economies." He said that while the IMF suspended its mission to Syria at some point "in light of the ongoing conflict and the security situation," he does not expect any engagement from the Fund in Syria in the near future.
Nevertheless, "once there is a settlement to the conflict, close collaboration with the international community will be needed to address the enormous challenges of reconstructing the country's physical and institutional infrastructure," Mazarei stated.
He also offered the Fund's willingness to help with post-conflict rehabilitation and macroeconomic stabilization by providing policy advice and technical assistance while in the meantime, "the IMF is providing advice to neighboring countries on how to accommodate the spillovers from the Syria crisis," he added. (end) yt.ajs